Damsel in Defense
by Miss Selah
Summary: Damsel in Distress!Challenge. Tired of being defenseless, Kagome turns for assistance to an unlikely ally. Sesshoumaru has never had much tolerance for anything weak, but honor demands that he rekindle his alliance with the miko who aided him in the defeat of Naraku. Will Sesshoumaru be able to teach Kagome the ways of a sword master...or will Kagome be the death of the demon lord?
1. Damsel in Despair

Title: Damsel in Defense

Author: Miss Selah

Summary: For Forth's Damsel in Distress Challenge. Tired of being defenseless, Kagome turns for assistance to an unlikely ally. Sesshoumaru has never had much tolerance for anything weak, but honor demands that he rekindle his alliance with the miko who aided him in the defeat of Naraku. Will Sesshoumaru be able to teach Kagome the ways of a sword master... or will Kagome be the death of him?

Genre: Action / Adventure / Romance

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Damsel in Despair

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She had thought, Kagome moued miserably, that she was done with this whole 'being kidnapped' nonsense. After all, she had been in the party that had defeated Naraku, completed the shikon jewel, and saved the world. And as if that hadn't been enough, she had returned to her own time and completed something even more difficult - High School!

But apparently, old habits die hard; Kagome had scarcely returned from the future six months prior and there she was, back to her old ways, feeling more like a defenseless fifteen year old girl than ever; only this time, she could feel the pressing presence of her own mortality as she walked in line behind the man who kept her arms bound and her mouth gagged. After all, it wasn't as though any of her friends would be coming around to save her; she had done a fine job of chasing them all off.

"Keep moving!" The kidnapper that stood behind her commanded gruffly, shoving her with the butt of his hand so that she almost fell forward onto her face. She wheeled on her, eyes flaming, but was unable to reprimand him for his thoughtlessness with the gag in her mouth the way it was. Instead, she shot daggers at him with her eyes and kept marching forward quietly, mumbling to herself.

It wasn't bad enough that Sango and Miroku had moved away, and Shippo had gone with them.

It wasn't bad enough that Inuyasha and her had just... grown apart over the last few years and made much better friends than lovers.

And it certainly wasn't bad enough that Kaede had announced that she would be leaving the duties of village miko to Kagome after she died; oh no. Kagome had to go out and create even more problems for herself.

_"I want to be strong," Kagome had told Inuyasha in secrecy as she packed her pack and prepared a horse for travels. "And I don't think that I am going to get any stronger here."_

_Inuyasha had scoffed, face gruff as he ate raw venison. "You don't need to be strong, Kagome; you have me here. Besides, I promised that I would always protect 'ya. You don't need to worry about things like that." He chewed with his mouth open and Kagome had tried not to stare._

_"It's not about that, Inuyasha," she told him._

_"Then what is it about?"_

_What was it about? Even Kagome hadn't known. She had just known that it wasn't enough to rely on Inuyasha for the rest of her life, especially since she was going to be responsible for the welfare of the entire village. She needed to be strong in her own right as well, and while Inuyasha had tried to teach her a few defense techniques when she had first raised the issue, it wasn't enough. Inuyasha himself had only ever been self taught the basics, and he won most of his battles on brute force alone. That was something that Kagome would never be able to do._

_"I... I don't know." Kagome confessed honestly._

_"Then don't worry so much." Inuyasha's teeth ripped and tore at some more meat, and Kagome somehow managed to keep the contents of her stomach right where they belonged. "Besides, you're brilliant at healing and herbs, and... well, your archery has improved. What else is there?"_

_"I just need this, Inuyasha." She smiled at him as she tossed her pack over the rear quarter of her mount. "And at least, you're right about one thing: I don't need to worry about being attacked by any demons while I'm out! I think that I have finally mastered my purifying barrier, so you don't need to worry about me."_

_Inuyasha gulped down the last of his meal and wiped his mouth with the back of his arm. "Are you sure?"_

_Kagome hugged her friend. "I'm a big girl, now; besides, Kaede would need your help more than I would should anything go wrong in the village."_

Inuyasha had begrudgingly allowed her to leave without his protection, and she was certainly regretting that now!

I_'m a big girl,_ she mocked herself inside of her head._ I can handle any demons that come my way!_

Too bad she hadn't accounted for the human bandits that had seen her horse and thought that she would have carried wealth on her. When they had realized that she was merely a travelling priestess, they had captured her, and she had overheard them talking amongst themselves about how much she would earn them if they were to sell her to a war lord.

Kagome's miko powers had, once again, proven to be a mixed blessing. On the plus side, her chasity had probably been all that had saved her from being taken by their greedy, filthy hands, but on the down side, they would have probably left her there, alone and broken on the side of the road when they were done with her.

She despaired her ill fortune, but all in all, she took her bad luck with a grain of salt.

"You there!" One of her captors yelled ahead. "Off of the road, we are passing through!"

Kagome looked up, wondering absently if the person on the road would be considerate or brave enough to try and save her. When she made eye contact with him, though, she started.

_No way..._

"I said, move it!" Her captor yelled again from atop his horse.

The man in white gave him a bored, backwards glance and looked over their traveling party. Kagome's heart leaped in to her chest when his golden eyes passed over her, but he made no indication that he recognized her. She knew it had been a few years since they had last allied together, in the final battle against Naraku, but they had never spent much time communicating, even when they had been allies. Not to mention that she was not sure if he had ever seen her in anything other than her old school girl outfit; the miko garb that she wore was a sure sight less revealing, and she knew that she resembled Kikyo now more than ever.

"I wont ask you again," her captor drew a short sword and brandished it at Sesshoumaru - and if Kagome didn't have the gag in her mouth, she would have smiled. "Step aside!"

The green toad that had tormented her endlessly when she was just a teenager poked its head around Sesshoumaru balked with righteous fury.

"Insolent cretins!" Jaken yelled, brandishing the two headed staff at them. "You should be grateful that my lord and master allows you to even breath, let alone share the same path as he. It is you, you foolish humans, that should be going around the path! How dare you presume that you could ever command someone as mighty as my Lord Sessh-"

"Jaken."

Sesshoumaru's voice was quiet and calm, but instantly Jaken's beak like mouth snapped shut and he looked to his master with adoring eyes.

"My lord?"

Sesshoumaru pivoted slowly on the balls of his feet, turning to face the men that had captured Kagome. His hair caught in a wind and it pulled, lifting up with his motion and then falling fluidly around his shoulders. His calm features betrayed the vicious heart that she knew he had, and if he had the face of an angel, then it was the angel of death.

Try though she might, she could not help but be impressed by everything about him.

He was strong.

He was daring.

He was _confident_.

He was everything that Kagome wanted to be.

"My retainer is correct in that you assume liberties over this Sesshoumaru," Sesshoumaru flexed his fingers, and Kagome could see - even from her distance - the green acid that began to hiss in his hands. "And for that, I am afraid you must pay a penalty."

"Who the fuck are you?" The man behind her demanded, releasing the ropes that held her arms behind her and reaching for the hilt and scabbard of his own sword.

Sesshoumaru only smiled gently.

He moved too quickly for her to be able to track his motions, but she could tell from the raise of his hair and the sound of a body slumping heavily to the forest floor behind her what he had done.

"Demon!" The man ahead of her screamed and dug his heels into the flank of her horse - the bastard - and took off like a bolt into the woods, away from Sesshoumaru and his prisoner.

"My lord, he's getting away!" Jaken squawked, pointing off after the bandit. "Shall I stop him?"

"Hn." Sesshoumaru merely turned back down the path, continuing the way he had been walking before he had been so rudely disturbed by the men who had stolen her.

Kagome came back to herself with a breath of relief. With the man who had been holding her ropes dead behind her, Kagome worked quickly at the single knot that bound her hands and, her only injury to note a minor rope burn, she pulled away her gag as well and ran after the demon lord.

"Lord Sesshoumaru!" She cried out, jumping over a fallen branch. "Lord Sesshoumaru, please wait!"

Sesshoumaru and Jaken halted, but Sesshoumaru did not turn around. Instead, his retainer pointed a hooked finger at her. "Why can't you humans just leave my lord in peace?!" He demanded.

Kagome ignored him, choosing instead to catch her breath. She smiled on a pant. "Thank you for saving my life, Lord Sesshoumaru."

Sesshoumaru turned to her then and wrinkled his nose.

"You are my half brother's miko, are you not?"

Kagome nodded, smiling up at her savior. "Yes I am; we fought together against Naraku four years ago."

"This Sesshoumaru thought that you were dead," he noted cautiously. "How is it that you vanished completely from this Earth after the defeat of Naraku, and yet you walk among us again?"

His hand flexed, and though he hid it from view, Kagome could smell the acid in the air as he began to ready his poison. "Are you a dead woman, the same as the creature with the clay body?"

"Kikyou?" Kagome supplied, standing up after she caught her breath. "Not at all." She wondered how much she could tell him without affecting her future. "I merely returned home, and my home is a very, _very_ long way off."

"I see." Sesshoumaru relaxed his arm and turned away, beginning to walk away again.

"No wait!" Kagome said, walking after him and ignoring the way that Jaken balked at her audacity. "I have a favor to ask of you."

"Disrespectful woman!" Jaken squawked. "It is not enough that my lord Sesshoumaru saved you from those bandits; now you must ask a favor of him as well?"

Sesshoumaru didn't stop walking, but he also didn't kill her. Kagome took it as a good sign.

"We were allies once, lord Sesshoumaru, and if I do say so myself we made an excellent team. You were the strongest amongst us, and your display just a few moments ago proves that you have not softened in evil's absence."

Sesshoumaru snorted so quietly that if she hadn't been watching his face, she would have missed it.

"I guess what I am trying to ask you is this," Kagome raced ahead of him a few feet and stopped in his path, dropping to her knees and bowing low before him.

"Will you please train me in the ways of a warrior, Lord Sesshoumaru?"

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_A/N: I work for reviews. Please, leave a contribution in the little box!_


	2. Dense

Title: Damsel in Defense

Author: Miss Selah

Summary: For Forth's Damsel in Distress Challenge. Tired of being defenseless, Kagome turns for assistance to an unlikely ally. Sesshoumaru has never had much tolerance for anything weak, but honor demands that he rekindle his alliance with the miko who aided him in the defeat of Naraku. Will Sesshoumaru be able to teach Kagome the ways of a sword master... or will Kagome be the death of him?

Genre: Action / Adventure / Romance

A/N: It's write night with Velvet Sometimes. I will probably write this whole story tonight and just post once a day. Probably. =]

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Dense

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"No." Sesshoumaru easily sidestepped the deeply bowed woman with merely more than a sneer. Jaken, too, turned his beak up at Kagome and marched along dutifully after his master, huffing. When it became clear to her that they had every intention of leaving her on her hands and knees in the dirt without another word, Kagome's head snapped up. She was filled with disbelief at Sesshoumaru's answer.

"Excuse me," Kagome said, rising to her knees and dusting of the palms of her hands where the dirt had stuck in from the ground. "I don't think that I heard you correctly."

"Lord Sesshoumaru does not need to repeat himself to you, vile creature!" Jaken said, looking back over his shoulder to shot a glare of disdain at the human miko, but not stopping for an instant.

Kagome inhaled sharply and stood the rest of the way, racing along the path behind them to catch up.

"Sesshoumaru?" she repeated again, trying to catch the demon lord's attention.

"You heard me correctly, priestess," he cast a small look towards his retainer before fixing his gaze back to the path in front of him. "This Sesshoumaru requires not even more responsibilities, and you have already expressed that you do not have strength of which to tell."

"But that's what I need you for, Sesshoumaru!" Kagome said, panting as she caught up and began to keep pace with the long legged demon. "Wow, for someone who moves so steadily, you sure do walk fast, Sesshoumaru. Either that, or I really have lost my hiking strength!" She laughed awkwardly, trying to break the ice with the stoic demon lord. "Do you think that you could slow down a bit, huh?"

Sesshoumaru gave her a narrow eyed look and wondered if the young miko knew how to keep her mouth shut at all.

"This Sesshoumaru will not repeat himself, onna."

Kagome shrugged and just kept pace with him, moving at a brisk pace. "And I don't accept your answer."

That had Sesshoumaru freezing in his tracks. "Are you dense?" Sesshoumaru asked plainly. "This Sesshoumaru has made no allegiance to you."

Kagome stood, defiant. "I'm not leaving until you teach me, and that's final."

Her stubbornness had always outweighed her sense of self preservation, but she sensed that Sesshoumaru would not kill her - he had tried to in the past, and he had been unable to. Since then, they had been allies. If asked, Kagome would even go so far as to say that she would have trusted Sesshoumaru with her life; after all, this was not the first time that he had saved her life.

Sesshoumaru's nose scrunched by centimeters, his eyes betraying his obvious disdain for her at that moment, and he continued to walk.

"You can't just ignore me, you know!" Kagome said, walking beside Sesshoumaru and Jaken with her arms behind her back, acting far more confident than she felt. She peeked out of the corner of her left eye at Sesshoumaru and gave him a tiny smile when she saw that he was looking back at her. "I'm very difficult to ignore."

"You act as though you are worthy of even this Sesshoumaru's indifference," Sesshoumaru said, "when really you are not even worthy of that."

Kagome shook her head. "You can say that all you want, but when it comes right down to it, you have saved me three times now."

If he flinched at her accusation, she didn't see it.

"Lord Sesshoumaru could never be bothered with saving the life of a filthy ningen priestess!" Jaken insisted on Sesshoumaru's behalf.

"Oh, but that's not true!" Kagome responded, ticking off the times that he had saved her on her fingers. "There was Mukotsu, and then Naraku..." she smiled, ticking off the last finger, "and then today."

Sesshoumaru was impressed. He had forgotten all about the poison master who had tried to strangle the girl.

"You are a walking calamity."

"Then you are my hero," Kagome said teasingly from behind her palm, covering her smile with her hand.

"This Sesshoumaru will not teach you," he insisted again.

"You will."

He stopped and glared at her, and Kagome just stared bravely into the eyes of the Great Dog Demon.

"After all," Kagome continued, walking a little ways ahead of him, "it's like that old Chinese Proverb."

Sesshoumaru sneered at her. "Chinamen are little more barbarians. Old Proverb?"

"Oh yeah, I guess it's new, isn't it?" She laughed at the irony of the situation. "Anyways, there is this Chinese proverb by a man name Confucious. And Confucious says that if you save a man's life, then you are responsible for it."

Sesshoumaru took a step forward, face still bland but his eyes betraying how intently he listened to her.

"In other words, by saving someone's life, you have inflicted that person's continued existence upon the world. whatever he does from then on-be it good or evil-it's your responsibility," she walked, once again, side by side with the demon lord, and she had to crane her neck upright to look him in the face.

"Backwards, ningen logic," Sesshoumaru curled his lip. "It is you who owes this Sesshoumaru a life debt."

"Well alright then!" Kagome responded, clapping her hands together. "You said it yourself; I am weak. How could I possibly hope to repay my life debt if I am of no use to you?"

She was backing him into a corner. Rarely had Sesshoumaru met someone educated enough to be able to do so, and never had they been a woman.

It was an uncomfortable feeling, and Kagome could sense that he was about to withdraw into himself again, so she changed her tactics.

"You're a smart demon, Sesshoumaru," Kagome praised him, turning her eyes to watch her fist as she fidgetted, feeling more than a little uncomfortable with the forwardness that she addressed him with. "Sesshoumaru-sama," she corrected herself. "And as a smart demon you would know that teaching me to protect myself is really an investment for you; imagine how much time you would save if you didn't have to worry about protecting me!"

"This Sesshoumaru does not worry about protecting you."

"And yet you've saved my life three times, now." Kagome grabbed his sleeve and stopped. Sesshoumaru could have easily continued walking, pulling the fabric of his sleeve out of her loose grasp, but he stopped as well, shooting her a dangerous glare.

"Release this Sesshoumaru, onna."

Kagome stared dumbly at the white fabric that she had clenched in her tiny fist as though she had not realized that she had been daring enough to be so bold. Quickly, she dropped the sleeve as though it had burned her, jerking her hand back and clutching it near her chest, but she did not drop her gaze from his. She wanted to be brave, she reminded herself, and she needed to start now.

"I wish to be strong, Sesshoumaru-sama," she said, attempting to flatter his ego in a last ditch effort to get him to change his mind, "and you are the strongest person I know. You don't have to worry about taking care of me, or even protecting me; I know that it is dangerous to travel, and if I get hurt then it is no one's fault but my own. I wont hold you in any contempt if you ignore me completely. Perhaps I can just travel with you, and learn your techniques from watching you?" She suggested.

Sesshoumaru just kept walking along the same path. "I have no time for your foolishness," he stated with courtly airs. "This Sesshoumaru cannot be bothered with where you chose to go."

"Lord Sesshoumaru!" Jaken squawked, and Kagome restrained the urge to jump with joy – he didn't sound as though he was agreeing to train her, but he wasn't turning her away. "Her filthy human stench will stink up the whole forest! Already her repulsive smell is making your humble retainer ill." Jaken lifted the sleeve of his haori over his nose in feigned disgust. "Surely you cannot be considering allowing her to share the same air as your greatness!"

Kagome refrained from punting the green toad. She knew that she was close to victory. "I wont be a bother, Sesshoumaru-sama," she promised. "Or at the very least, I will try to stay out of your way."

"This Sesshoumaru cares not for what you fill your time with, Kagome."

Kagome smiled, enjoying the pleasant warmth that budded delicately in her chest.

_He knows my name..._

It was all the encouragement she needed.

"Then you will not care if I chose to remain by your side."


	3. Damsel Indecent

Title: Damsel in Defense

Author: Miss Selah

Summary: For Forth's Damsel in Distress Challenge. Tired of being defenseless, Kagome turns for assistance to an unlikely ally. Sesshoumaru has never had much tolerance for anything weak, but honor demands that he rekindle his alliance with the miko who aided him in the defeat of Naraku. Will Sesshoumaru be able to teach Kagome the ways of a sword master... or will Kagome be the death of him?

Genre: Action / Adventure / Romance

A/N: Woke up this morning to yet another anonymous flame. Well, you pissed me off pretty early, so I'll go easy on you; after all, you are clearly an idiot if you are saying that Sesshoumaru is acting OOC in chapters that _I haven't even written yet. _Such levels of incompetence are astonishing to me.

But, because it was raised, I will respond: No, Sesshoumaru will not be OOC - at least, I do not believe so, and neither does my beta. I have pulled many of his quotes directly from the show and anime, and Rumiko Takahashi herself describes Sesshoumaru's character type as cold and aloof. Does Sesshoumaru hate humans? I don't believe so. Does he have disdain for all things weak? Yes. Is he a man of honor, and would he, if pressed, assist his allies? Absolutely. I bring forward 'Swords of an Honorable Ruler' as my proof.

That being said, I am working very, _very _hard on making a romantic relationship happen _in character _and in the few chapters the challenge allows. You're a jerk, flamer, and I hate you.

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Damsel Indecent

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To say that Sesshoumaru had allowed Kagome to travel with him would have been a generous statement - towards both of them. It was less that Kagome traveled with Sesshoumaru than it was she followed him dutifully, watching his every graceful movement and trying desperately to mirror it. When he walked, she trailed behind him like a duck, staring so intently at the way he allowed his body to move that on many occasions she tripped over things that she hadn't noticed in her path. When he set up camp, she watched him, studying the way his calloused, clawed hands moved, and the quiet strength that betrayed him in everything. And when he fought anyone that stood in their path, she stood back in awe, memorizing the dance like manner in which he moved, trying to learn his secrets so that she too would one day be able to move in the same comfortable, confident way that he did.

And it was less that Sesshoumaru allowed Kagome to travel with him than it was he tolerated her continued presence as long as she didn't try to engage him or Jaken in any of her inane chatter - which, surprisingly, she didn't.

As it so happened, the girl was entirely capable of having a conversation all by herself.

"...but maybe squirrels are just highly trained ninjas..."

Like right then, for instance.

Sesshoumaru stopped, catching the very last sentence that she said.

"What is this nonsense of which you speak?"

Kagome looked just as shocked as he felt. Perhaps she was unaware of the volume with which she spoke? Sesshoumaru briefly entertained the idea of cutting out her tongue... certainly it would be a boon to humankind everywhere if the woman was rendered mute. _No, _he decided. _If I were to cut out her tongue then it would most certainly begin to wag at both ends. _

"Oh, I was just saying that squirrels are most likely ninjas."

Sesshoumaru and Kagome stared at each other in an awkward silence for a long time. Jaken may have, perhaps, spoken, if it wasn't for the fact that the water kappa was still fuming with outrage that the human miko had been following their small party for nearly three weeks and she continued to show no signs of leaving. As a small act of revenge, Jaken had taken to giving her the silent treatment, turning his nose up at her as though she was something that stank, and generally ignoring everything that she said.

It was the only thing that made Sesshoumaru pray that she would never tire of their party.

When it became clear that Kagome was not going to elaborate on her wildly fallacious statement that Sesshoumaru pressed her, his curiosity far outweighing his intentions to not engage the loquacious miko any more than was absolutely necessary.

"How could you mistake such vermin for_..." well, such vermin, really, _but he couldn't say that, "ninjas?"

"So you know how when you are washing your clothes and then all of a sudden, you are missing a sock!" Kagome exclaimed, gesturing wildly as though to demonstrate the act of washing her clothes on a rock in the river, and then only holding up one imaginary sock.

"This Sesshoumaru does not _wash _his own clothes."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Okay, fine then, but you _are _aware of clothes and the fact that they _do _have to be cleaned occasionally, yes?"

Sesshoumaru gave her a bland stare.

"Well, have you ever _seen _a squirrel stealing that missing sock?"

There were no words for his levels of exasperation at that moment.

"My point exactly," she marched ahead of him, and Sesshoumaru just stared at the place that she had stood.

_No words. _

When he finally managed to regain his hold on his desire to throttle the chit, he began walking again as well - and was unsurprised that when he caught up with her, she was once again talking to herself.

Unable to deal with her chatter any longer, Sesshoumaru interrupted her.

"Are you not trying to learn the secrets of a sword master from this Sesshoumaru?" He asked, and Kagome stopped talking to herself.

"Well, yes, that is why I am following you around," she said, walking along the dirt path beside him while Jaken toddled behind, keeping pace. "But you won't teach me, so I just have to wait for you to run into someone that you can fight and try to learn from watching. And there are so few people foolish enough to challenge you... so I have very little to go off of, you know."

Sesshoumaru was a bit shocked. He had noticed that, at night, she sometime went off a little ways from camp and had been making loud, graceless movements, but he had no idea of what she had been doing. "You have been practicing?" He asked, a bit shocked. He had thought that she was just doing another pointless, illogical human ritual, and had never questioned her on it.

Kagome nodded. "Yes, but I am not very good yet. I wish you would teach me yourself, but you already said that you wouldn't."

They all kept walking, and Sesshoumaru kept his eyes fixated on her softly swaying hips, trying to identify what was wrong with them, and why he couldn't stop staring.

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They finally stopped for the night many hours later, and – like so many nights before – Kagome stood to wander off directly after dinner.

"Stop," Sesshoumaru commanded, standing as well. "This Sesshoumaru will accompany you this evening."

Kagome smiled. She had known that her persistance would pay off in the end; it had always served her well. "I think I would like that very much, Sesshoumaru-sama."

When he didn't move to lead her, Kagome assumed that he was going to follow her and picked a direction away from camp, hoping that they wouldn't have to travel very far to find an empty clearing big enough for her to move around in. After walking for a few minutes, they came upon a just such a clearing with a large, fallen tree off to a side. Without a word, Sesshoumaru moved over to the tree and sat down, arms and legs crossed while his swords rested at his hips.

"Begin," he commanded, and Kagome found herself frozen under the intensity of his stare.

"Has anyone ever told you that you remind them of the snake in the proverb about the snake and the frog?" Kagome asked, remembering the parable from her childhood.

"So long as this Sesshoumaru is the snake," he sneered. "Begin."

Unsure of how to move her body and extremely self concious under the sword master's stare, Kagome moved clumsily, with none of the grace that he possessed and flaunted so easily. Her body felt awkward and foreign, her limps too long and her legs too gainly. She took another foreward step and trip, falling straight to the ground.

"Ouch ouch ouch," she cursed, staring down at her elbow which had been cut open and was staining the white sleeve of her miko's garb. She sighed. "So much for this top..." she mumbled, frowning at the stain.

Sesshoumaru kneeled beside her and Kagome jumped, startled. "I didn't hear you get up!" She exclaimed by way of an explanation and laughed nervously. "I guess I really am just a big klutz, huh? I bet you never made a rookie mistake like that!"

"Hn." Sesshoumaru merely stared at her ruined top. _Perhaps this was what he found wrong about her, earlier. _She claimed to wanted to learn the way of the warrior, and yet she still dressed in the garb of her religion. Not only that, but it became clear when she was moving that she would not be able to get comfortable with any of the motions that she was attempting to imitate until she had the heavy weight of a sword in her hands.

He would not loan her one of his; aside from being _his, _they were incredibly heavy and she would not be able to move with their weight upon her.

"So, what did you think?" Kagome asked, her anxiety at asking the man who was known for his cruelty showing in every awkward line of her body as she tried to not make eye contact with him.

Sesshoumaru was silent for a moment, wondering if it would be better if he said nothing at all. Finally, though, he decided to speak. "You attempt to move with the same motions that I use; that would be your downfall. You have not the strength in your form to execute the powerful techniques that I use."

"Then I will train harder, to get stronger!" Kagome insisted. "Thank you, Sesshoumaru-sama."

_The idiot woman never allowed anyone to finish speaking, _he thought. And though the trait annoyed him on most, on her he found it... oddly endearing.

"Foolish onna," he chastised. "Your mortal strength will never be able to compare to this Sesshoumaru's power."

Kagome sighed. "I know... but I have to learn to be strong!"

"Then you must find your own strength," Sesshoumaru pointed a deadly, delicate claw to her breast, "in here. You are small, little onna."

Kagome flinched, taking his honest words as an insult.

"Your tiny strengths will serve you best." Sesshoumaru stood up, and walked back over to his post on the fallen tree. "Again," he commanded.

Kagome nodded, the tiny bud of confidence taking root and growing even strong under the most inane of his praises. "Yes," she agreed, standing as well. "Again."

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When she awoke the next morning, the fire was already dying down and Sesshoumaru was walking towards her, back to the camp. Gingerly, Kagome rubbed her eyes and stretched out.

"Were you out all night?" She questioned, rubbing the back of her hair and smiling up at her companion.

In lieu of an answer, Sesshoumaru stopped suddenly before her, dropping a paper parcel into her lap.

"What's this?" Kagome undid the string that held the paper together. "A present?"

Inside, there were two articles of course, rough fabric - a haori and hakama - and a short, light sword.

"What is this?" Kagome asked breathlessly, not daring to believe her eyes.

"If you insist on this foolishness, I will not have you make this Sesshoumaru appear a fool as well."

Kagome looked down at her trusty miko outfit - sure it was worn and dirty and a bit covered in blood, but there was nothing _wrong _with it. "What's wrong with what I've got on now?"

He sneered. "It's... indecent. You must dress to your station."

"But I _am _a miko," Kagome said, fingering the rough fabric of the cloth.

"Not while you travel with this Sesshoumaru."

Jaken grumbled. "Be grateful, insolent wench! My lord and master has honored you with gifts that you do not deserve and you should be on bended knee in gratitude."

"Jaken," Sesshoumaru silenced him with a word, his eyes still trained on the miko. "Do you no longer wish to be this Sesshoumaru's apprentice?"

Kagome beamed at him with joy. "Yes! Thank you, Sesshoumaru-sama!" She clutched the parcels to her chest, hugging them close. "I swear that you won't regret this!"

From the way her loud voice broke through the morning silence, Sesshoumaru feared that he was beginning to regret it already.

"Hn."  
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	4. EXTRA! Lovely

Title: Damsel in Defense

Author: Miss Selah

Summary: For Forth's Damsel in Distress Challenge. Tired of being defenseless, Kagome turns for assistance to an unlikely ally. Sesshoumaru has never had much tolerance for anything weak, but honor demands that he rekindle his alliance with the miko who aided him in the defeat of Naraku. Will Sesshoumaru be able to teach Kagome the ways of a sword master... or will Kagome be the death of him?

Genre: Action / Adventure / Romance

A/N: Damsel in Defense, Extra! This was written for the Dokuga_Contest Weekly Perfection #204: Miracle. If you are on LJ, please head over and vote for me! =D Last week's challenge was 'Sloth.' Enjoy the extra!

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Lovely

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Sesshoumaru kept his eyes on Kagome as she went through her training regiment, watching her movements carefully. She was failing, and he could see her frustration blooming in her face.

"I can't do this!" Kagome finally screamed.

Sesshoumaru rose, approaching her. "It is not difficult; you are merely foolish."

Kagome could do nothing to stop the heat that rose in her cheeks when he pressed his body against hers, guiding her motions through his own.

"Like this."

Kagome gulped. "Y-yes."

"Your method is flawed," Sesshoumaru said, stepping away to study the girl. "Your stance is correct, though. You look lovely."

Sesshoumaru walked away, and Kagome smiled blithely. "I'm... I'm lovely?"

Jaken snorted. "You're pink and fleshy, if you ask me." He stuck his nose up. "It's a miracle you're still alive."

She ignored him, though. Sesshoumaru had never paid her a compliment before!

"Keep practicing until it is perfect." Sesshoumaru snarled, snapping her back to herself.

"Yes!"

She began her steps again, happily.

Jaken returned to his master's side, frowning at the girl who had joined them. "What a disgraceful woman; what's she so happy about? You said yourself she lacks skill!"

Sesshoumaru agreed. "I merely commented on her appearance."


	5. Damsel Indignant

Title: Damsel in Defense

Author: Miss Selah

Summary: For Forth's Damsel in Distress Challenge. Tired of being defenseless, Kagome turns for assistance to an unlikely ally. Sesshoumaru has never had much tolerance for anything weak, but honor demands that he rekindle his alliance with the miko who aided him in the defeat of Naraku. Will Sesshoumaru be able to teach Kagome the ways of a sword master... or will Kagome be the death of him?

Genre: Action / Adventure / Romance

A/N: Goodbye Velvet Sometimes! It was the BEST having a 2 day non-stop write~a~thon. Well, you know, until that thing with my roommate storming in and screaming at me. .

But we wont talk about that. Good luck on your wonderful new adventure in Texas! Colorado will miss you!

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Damsel Indignant -

Glowing like emeralds in the dark light against the early morning light, someone watched the small entourage as they walked. The girl was behaving like a child with a toy sword, fidgeting constantly with her robes while the Lord and his faithful retainer tried valiantly to ignore her.

Finally fed up, the kappa turned around and barked something unintelligible at the girl, wielding his staff as though it was a hammer, and the girl laughingly jumped out of sight. The demon lord for his part appeared indifferent to their antics, but when the girl's laughter bubbled and swelled out of her, causing her to clutch her sides with joy, the observer could see Sesshoumaru's eyes go to her face... and soften.

The creature that watched them snarled, face scrunching up with disgust. "What a happy scene this is, isn't it?" he grounded out between clenched teeth.

"Master Hakuso?" A second observer, a human, questioned his leader. "What do you want us to do about the girl and the toad."

"Ignore them; I am only interested in Lord Sesshoumaru." Hakuso simply frowned. "And it will be my pleasure to take care of him myself; run back to the others, make them aware of this development."

"Yes sir!" The human ran back through the foliage, and Hakuso drew back under cover. "Soon, Sesshoumaru; soon I will make you suffer as we have suffered."

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"Just because you have a sword does not mean that you have the fortitude to wield it," Sesshoumaru chastised her when she drew her weapon to mock battle with Jaken, who was using the staff of two heads. "Do not swing it like a log," he drew his own sword and pointed it at an invisible foe. "When you use your sword, you are using an extension of yourself. When you strike, it is not the blade that cuts, but your own hand. And when you are victorious -" he delivered a final, whistling stab at the air and held his pose, war in his eyes, "it is _you _who has won. Not the sword."

Sesshoumaru slid his sword back into its sheath and narrowed his gaze at her. "Now," he commanded. "When you -"

"SESSHOUMARU!" There was a loud crash, and a tabby orange creature burst through the canopy of the clearing, and all three of them - Sesshoumaru, Kagome, and Jaken - looked up at their intruder. "You're mine!"

The demon charged at Sesshoumaru and Kagome screeched in shock, picking up Jaken around his middle with one arm, carrying him like a football as she raced for the tree line.

"A poor lost kitty," Sesshoumaru merely smirked. "You wished to learn from this Sesshoumaru, onna?"

Kagome nodded, not taking her eyes off of the demon that had challenged Sesshoumaru to a battle. "Yes!" He hand rested on the sword at her side, willing to charge if that was what Sesshoumaru commanded.

Sesshoumaru only smirked confidently. "Then watch _carefully." _

He walked forward just as the cat demon charged, allowing it to deliver the first blow. Claws scratched at the thin air where Sesshoumaru had stood before he moved to one side, allowing the cat demon to miss him by inches. "Watch my defenses," Sesshoumaru instructed her as he let his muscles settle into the rhythm of swordplay.

When it became clear to Hakusothat Sesshoumaru was merely toying with him, the cat snarled. "You fool!" Hakusohissed. "You dare to toy with me? I will destroy you, Lord Sesshoumaru!"

Several minutes passed as Hakusoexhausted itself attempting to get past Sesshoumaru's defenses, and he quickly lost his temper. The cat demon's moves lost their finesse as he lost his temper and he began to batter at Sesshoumaru as though he was attempting to pound him into the ground. Sesshoumaru had drawn his sword but was not using it to cut at Hakuso; instead, he was merely using it to block the blows, occasionally throwing a glance towards Kagome to make sure that she was still paying careful attention to all of his movements and learning what she could from them.

Hakusoyowled loudly in frustration, and Kagome merely smiled.

"What a foolish, filthy creature that feline is," Jaken spoke to her, staring with utter disdain at the demon that was attacking his lord. "What did he expect? A quick defeat and easy humiliation? My lord Sesshoumaru is the greatest warrior who ever lived! Why, if he was alive today, even his father would have bowed at the awe inspiring sight that is my Great Lord when he battles! That cat is in no way Sesshoumaru's equal!"

Kagome nodded. "You're telling me."

Jaken gave her a reproachful glance. "Neither are you."

"Jaken," Sesshoumaru gave him a warning glare, but Kagome just laughed lightly, the sound tinkling like bells.

"Yes, I suppose that you are right," she said, eyes still fixed on the easy motions that Sesshoumaru was making.

He wasn't even working up a sweat! And she knew, for sure, that if it wasn't for her watching and trying to learn from him, the battle would have already been long over.

"You look away during battle!?" Hakusohissed, looking at Kagome, his simmering rage now a full boil. "Perhaps I will kill your woman as well! Her life for theirs seems fair enough to me!"

Kagome blushed and stammered. "I-I am _not _his woman."

The cat demon turned his claws to Kagome and Sesshoumaru made no move to stop him.

"Now you fight, miko." Sesshoumaru commanded, and Kagome was glad that her hand had been resting on the hilt of her sword, or she may have not drawn it fast enough.

When Sesshoumaru fought, it was with an air of boredom - that was not the case for Kagome. When Kagome fought, she was fighting for her _life, _and she knew it. Though she felt as though she and Sesshoumaru had grown closer, he had really only began to train her in earnest because she amused him, nothing more. And if he didn't want to save her, then Sesshoumaru was not _going _to save her.

She was fighting all alone, and the demon that she fought would not be content with pretend wounds and victory - he was gunning for her blood.

"I don't know what I am doing!" Kagome said, barely managing to block the demon's claws with her awkward sword work, quickly growing tired from the exertion.

"That much is clear!" Jaken yelled from the sidelines, and if she had the time to glare at him, she would have. As it was, she was a bit preoccupied.

"You're no help!"

Sesshoumaru and Jaken were silent as they watched her, and the air rang with the sweet singing of her blade against his claws, and the hoarse rasp of both fighters' breathes. Kagome fought desperately, violently, for a way out of this mess. She was _not _a skilled sword fighter; perhaps if she had her bow then the fight would have already been over. What she _was, _though, was a skilled survivor - and a girl with a mission.

"I won't let you beat me!" Kagome screamed and made her first forceful offensive attack. It was sloppy and flawed, but it caught the cat demon by the unawares and slipped past his defenses and towards his throat. The demon dodged, laughing nervously.

"So that sword isn't just for show then, is it?" Hakusoretreated for a moment and glared at her. "But you have no skill whatsoever!"

"Isn't it a pity?" Sesshoumaru agreed with her attacker. "A pity for the sword - all she can do is wave it about with her minuscule strength... it's the same whether it's a sword or a log."

Kagome gasped. "Hey!"

Hakusoslashed at her with a backhanded blow, and Kagome thrust the blunt of her blade vertically and caught his claws before they cut her in half.

"Not half as bad as your master indicates, though," Hakusounhooked his claws and snarled. "A treacherous strategy!"

Kagome blinked as though in a daze as the cat demon continued to go for her blood. Kagome gasped and groaned when the flat of his fist struck her in the back, pushing her forward towards his waiting, sharp claws.

"No!" Kagome called upon her miko's magic and formed a barrier between the demon's claws and her gut, and the demon pulled back his hand as though burned.

"You're... you're a miko!" Hakusoscreamed, clutching his burning hand in agony.

Kagome just panted, sweating lightly and nodding. "I am." She stood tall and proud, trying to put on the same confident airs that Sesshoumaru had - even if they were false. "I am the Priestess of the Shikon no Tama, and I _will_defeat you!" Kagome flicked her sword and returned to her offensive stance,

Hakusosneered at her and turned his gleaming eyes back to Sesshoumaru. For a moment he looked indecisive, as though he wasn't sure whether or not she was worth the trouble. _Surely, _Kagome thought, _he has heard of me. _There was no way that he hadn't. And though he may have been brave enough – or foolish enough, as the case may have been – to challenge Sesshoumaru, fighting a miko of her caliber was a different story. Death by sword was an honorable death – but if he were to be purified, he doubted that there would even be ash left from his charred corpse for his tribe to reclaim.

Deciding, he kept his gaze on Sesshoumaru. "My battle is with _him, _not you!" That being said, he leaped high in to the air and landed carefully in a tree several yards away. "You killed the leader of our tribe, Lord Sesshoumaru! And we _will _have vengeance!"

Sesshoumaru snorted.

Kagome tossed her sword to the ground and marched up to Sesshoumaru, pressing her finger into his hard chest. "WHY DIDN'T YOU HELP ME!?" She demanded, indignant, heart still racing from battle.

Sesshoumaru merely curled his lip up at her and crossed his arms over his chest. "Did you not inform your assailant that you are _not _my woman?" His eyes narrowed on her. "Aside from that, you _survived._"

Kagome snorted. "No thanks to you; I had to resort to using my protective barrier."

"And that," Sesshoumaru bite out on a snarl, "was the greatest mistake you could have made!"

Kagome took a small step back in the face of his fury, and gulped. "Whua-what are you talking about?" She asked. "That was what saved my life!"

"Are you _not _trying to learn to be a sword master?"

Kagome nodded, suddenly realizing what he meant.

"Then why do you insist on relying on the power you have already mastered in the face of the opportunity to go down the path that you seek? You yourself have recognized that one day your miko powers will be of no use to you, and if you do not prepare yourself, then on that day you will die." Sesshoumaru scoffed, and flicked his hair over his shoulder. "You truly are a most annoying woman." He began to walk away from her, and Kagome's hand went to her chest. She took all of his insults to heart.

"I - I'm sorry," she said, rooted to the spot. Her eyes went down to the ground in shame, and she saw that Jaken was still there, standing beside her.

"Hmph," Jaken snorted, looking after his master but staying by her side. "What a gloomy face," he insulted her, and Kagome made no comment. "You _survived, _didn't you?"

Kagome looked down at her green little companion, and nodded.

"Then cease your foolishness and follow my Lord Sesshoumaru if you wish to continue down the sacred path of the warrior!" He clicked the two headed staff against the ground and scuttled off after his master.

Still shaken from her battle with Hakuso, Kagome remained behind as the two demons she travelled with continued on ahead of her, frozen in spot. While she had been in deadly battle before, she had always had the support of her friends to keep her strong; but as today had proven, right now she had nothing and no one. Sesshoumaru could barely tolerate her, and Jaken even less so.

Her heart filled with sorrow and two twin drops of tears landing on the top of her loafers, the only allowance that Sesshoumaru had allowed her after her had thrown her miko garb on a pyre. The evidence of her sorrow was hypnotic and Kagome stared at them as they pooled along a crease in the leather of her shoes until they met up. She tried to ignore her depression, but it was suffocating her. She had always had someone who loved her, but now...

"I am on my own," Kagome said, looking down at her feet. "Alone."

"Hurry up, you miserable cretin!" Jaken yelled for her from next to Sesshoumaru, who had stopped to wait for her to catch up.

Kagome looked at the pair and the sorrow in her heart ebbed. It was true that they weren't Sango, Shippo, Inuyasha, or even Miroku. But she liked to think that they were her friends.

"I'm coming!" She said. Picking up her sword, she raced along after them and wiping away her tears with the back of her arm.

She was _not _alone.

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**Edited on 8/16/12**


	6. Dare

Title: Damsel in Defense

Author: Miss Selah

Summary: For Forth's Damsel in Distress Challenge. Tired of being defenseless, Kagome turns for assistance to an unlikely ally. Sesshoumaru has never had much tolerance for anything weak, but honor demands that he rekindle his alliance with the miko who aided him in the defeat of Naraku. Will Sesshoumaru be able to teach Kagome the ways of a sword master... or will Kagome be the death of him?

Genre: Action / Adventure / Romance

Prompt: Dare

A/N: A generous reviewer pointed out a continuity issue with the last chapter and I made some appropriate edits. Nothing big, but I did fix the whole problem. As for Rin; I have the chapter written that reveals her fate, but I keep not having room to put it in to the story. Expect to find out in the next day or two. Personally, I love the interactions and budding friendships between Jaken and Kagome in this chapter. I feel bad for Jaken - no one writes him as anything but a nuisance! Not me. At least, I hope not.

Anyways, please review. I am pumping this out at a chapter a day and - well - I love reviews. Thank you!

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"Quit dawdling!" Jaken commanded, and Kagome just groaned. "How dare you slow down my Lord Sesshoumaru? He is a very important man!"

"I'm coming!" Kagome said, panting.

As ususal, Sesshoumaru said nothing.

She couldn't really _blame _Jaken for being so hard on her, but she would have had a harder time stomaching his nagging if Sesshoumaru hadn't started walking slower for her sake, much to Jaken's chagrin. He had complained to Sesshoumaru that he didn't want the _human pest _to slow them down, but Sesshoumaru had merely kicked him out of his path and continued walking.

She had been walking rather slowly ever since she had gotten into the fight with Hakuso. While she had gotten out of the fight virtually unscathed, the blow to her back had bruised violently, and she had to be careful when she stretched or climbed over anything that may have been in their path. She couldn't be certain without x rays, which were impossible to get in this time period, but she thought that perhaps on of her ribs may have been broken.

To complain to Sesshoumaru would have been a sign of weakness to both herself and him, though, so she sucked up the pain and just kept walking... at a much slower pace than usual.

Lost in her own thoughts, Kagome wasn't paying attention to were she had been walking... and tripped over an uprooted tree root.

"Ack!" Kagome screamed as she hit the ground, seeing stars when her rib cracked against a stone. She dared not to cry, but all she could manage was to bite back the choking sobs as she clutched at her side, tears sliding quietly down her face as she moaned in agonizing pain.

"Ow, ow, ow..."

Black boots filled her field of vision, and Kagome looked up at Sesshoumaru. His face was as blankly apathetic as ever as he looked down his nose at her, and Kagome forced a smile. "Sorry," she said, trying to stand. "I'm just a klutz." She tried to stand up, but her legs gave out immediately and she was right back on the forest floor. "Hang on," she said desperately, this time leaning one one hand against the tree that she had tripped over as she tried to rise. "I'll try again. Don't leave me, okay?"

Sesshoumaru put his hand on her shoulder, stopping her from rising. "Sit, onna."

Kagome complied with a grateful sigh. Typically, she would have pressed forward again, but the pain in her back was so sharp and shooting that she allowed her body to slump with relief, her back against the tree.

"Thank you, Sesshoumaru-sama."

Sesshoumaru just sneered. "Jaken, we will stop here for the night."

Kagome shook her head and started to rise again. "It's still so early! That's not necessary, Sesshoumaru. I'm fine, I swe-"

"Cease this foolish defiance," Sesshoumaru commanded, rubbing his temple. "Build a fire, Jaken."

"Yes my Lord." Jaken waddled off into the woods to do his master's bidding.

They were alone, and then Kagome was once again pinned under the uncomfortable glare of Sesshoumaru. "You did not inform this Sesshoumaru of your injury," he said, kneeling down beside her.

Kagome shook her head. "I didn't want to be a bother," she said by way of apology. "I just wanted to be strong like you."

Sesshoumaru's lip curled up in distaste. "Your continued foolishness surprises this Sesshoumaru. Are you not being a bother now?"

Kagome flinched and averted her gaze. "I'll try to be less of a nuisance in the future."

Sesshoumaru looked as though he may have said something more, but at that moment Jaken burst through the woods with an armful of firewood. "Here's the wood you requested, Lord Sesshoumaru."

Sesshoumaru nodded with approval as Jaken used the two headed staff to set fire to the wood. In an instant, the fire was crackling loudly, popping as it came to life.

"That's much easier than matches, I suppose," Kagome said sullenly. "Demons have all the luck."

Jaken and Sesshoumaru ignored her. "Do you carry the oils I requested? The stones?"

Jaken reached into the sleeve of his haori and pulled out a small bag, no bigger than his hat. "Let's see..."

Kagome watched, fascinated, as Jaken's whole arm an shoulder reached into the tiny bag. "That's incredible!" Kagome said, her fascination greater than her gloominess. "How is that managed?!"

Sesshoumaru jeered. "You have seen the magic of the half-breed's fire rat clothe, and you question a demon's satchel?" He snorted and turned his attention back to Jaken. "Humans..."

Jaken began to pull out various objects, each larger than the bag. A swatch of wrapping gauze, some small jars of ointment, a bundle of sage. "Aha!" Jaken said finally, pulling out a larger, burgandy bag. "The stones, and..." again, Jaken reached into the magic bag, only this time he pulled out a small crystal vile. "Hmm... not much left."

"It is enough."

Sesshoumaru stepped forward and took the burgandy bag from Jaken and overturned it directly into the fire. Kagome had a hard time seeing, but as far as she could tell, it appeared that he was dumping smooth rocks into the flames.

"What are you doing?" She dared to asked, curious.

Sesshoumaru gave her a small glare. "Cease speaking, onna. Your voice is most annoying."

Kagome shut her mouth, satisfied to watch him work.

Jaken put away the items that he had taken out of his satchel and Sesshoumaru worked at the fire with his bare hands, reaching in and knocking the stones around, burying them shallowly in the dirt beneath the embers.

Jaken, finished with his task, approached the miko. "We lost daylight because of you," he chastised. "You should apologize to my Lord Sesshoumaru."

Kagome nodded. "I'll apologize later," she promised. "I really don't want to bother him now; not when he was nice enough to stop for the night on my account."

"Hrumph," Jaken said, taken back. "Perhaps you are not as ungrateful a wench as I once suspected."

Kagome smiled at the green water kappa, knowing that was as close to an apology as she would ever hear from him. "I think that we are going to be friends someday, too."

The kappa choked on air, squawking loudly. "You are awfully daring, though! Friends!? Me, with a worthless human girl like you!?" He snorted. "You are clearly as daft as ever."

Kagome just lay her head on her knees and smiled warmly at the toad, ignoring his stuck up air. "Hey, can I see that bag for a minute, please?"

Jaken narrowed his eyes at her and put his hands defensively over his pouch. "What for?" he demanded suspiciously.

Sesshoumaru finished whatever he had been doing in the pit of the fire. "I will return with dinner," he said, and left for the forest to hunt.

"What for?" Jaken asked her again, less aggressively this time.

Kagome shrugged. "It was interesting. I've never seen anything like it before."

Jaken pulled out his bag proudly, staring at it fondly. "And you never shall again! This bag was made in my tribe through ancient methods. Only the most powerful of hides can be used in its creation. This one was cut from the pelt of a great wolf that lived far to the north of here."

Kagome leaned in to look closer, but did not reach for the bag. "It's so beautiful..." she commented, noting the strong, tight stitch work on the sides. "How do you fit so many things inside of it, though?"

Jaken looked around to his left side, and then his right, before leaning in close to Kagome. "It has been treated in a secret, magical well of powerful waters. My tribe protects these waters from humans who would abuse their powers, and in exchange the waters bless my people."

"I see."

There was a note of pride in his voice when Jaken spoke about his tribe, and Kagome recognized the lilt – it was the lilt of someone who remembered their home fondly, but knew that they could not return. She knew the tone, because it was the same one that she had whenever she spoke about her home.

"You know," Kagome said, leaning back and away from the toad. "My... _village... _has many magical things as well."

Jaken snorted. "A human village? Ridiculous."

Kagome shook her head. "It's unbelievably, I know, but it's true. We can produce light without fire, and cold without snow, and heat without flames."

"You speak in riddles, human girl," Jaken said with a hint of derision in his voice, but looking fascinated all the same. "There is no way to make the things of which you speak."

Kagome pointed at the satchel. "I would have said the same thing about your satchel if I hadn't seen it for myself first," she said, smiling. "But there you are."

"I'll believe it when I see it," Jaken said firmly.

Kagome just smiled. "Maybe you will see it, someday." And it was true – if he lived long enough, he would see her home again.

But she never would.

Sesshoumaru returned several minutes later with an armful of fish. "Jaken, make a spit."

Jaken nodded and moved quickly away from Kagome do to his master's bidding.

Sesshoumaru walked over to Kagome and stared down at her. "Thank you," Kagome said. "For..." _stopping for the night? Catching her dinner? Training her when she knew that she did little more than annoy him? "_Everything. Thank you for everything." Kagome finally settled on.

Sesshoumaru looked at her disdainfully. "As you said, onna. You are merely an investment." He kept his eyes away from her, and Kagome thought to herself that maybe he was less callous than he let on. Maybe, in his own twisted way, he was beginning to consider her a friend. Or at least, someone that he wouldn't go out of his way to kill. Either way, it was a step forward for him. She didn't think that she was on the same par as with Jaken and Rin, but she'd never seen him allow anyone else to travel with him before.

She took it as a good sign.

"An investment?" She repeated, cocking her eyebrow.

"A foolish investment," Sesshoumaru snarked, "is an investment all the same."

Kagome smiled. "Then thank you for that as well, Sesshoumaru-sama."

"For what?" he asked.

Kagome shrugged. "For investing in me, of course."

Unexpectedly, Sesshoumaru unclasped the armor at his chest and lay the mokomoko at her side before stepping away from her in just his kimono and sash without saying a word.

Kagome stared at him, surprised at how flustered she got at the sight of his removing his armor. It had been unexpected and unprecedented, to be sure, but it was not as though he was dressed indecently; something about his appearance without his armor and mokomoko though was... causal, if she had to put a name to it. Easy.

The oddest thing though was how much smaller he appeared without them.

Neither Jaken nor Sesshoumaru fed the fire, and Kagome was too weak to go search for more wood, so soon the fish that Sesshoumaru had caught for them was cooking over hot coals, the smell tantalizing Kagome's nose and making her mouth water.

Jaken grabbed on of the sticks with a fish on it and took a bite, grinning as he ate. "It's ready!" He announced and brought a spit over to Kagome, who was beyond pleased. Not only had Jaken taken the care to put her fish on a spit, he had also brought it to her.

Kagome took the offering with an extremely grateful smile. "Thank you," she said, a bit breathily. Jaken just blushed and hurumphed.

"It is no different than when Rin started to travel with us!" He complained, digging in to his own fish. "Why does my Lord Sesshoumaru keep picking up these human strays?!"

Kagome chuckled quietly and ate, enjoying the bland fish. She had eaten little more than what she could forage during their travels since she started following Sesshoumaru and Jaken, and while the twigs and berries got her by, there was no comparison to fresh fish. There wasn't much that she missed about her own time period, but the ease of food was one thing.

"And indoor plumbing..." she commented outloud, frowning.

"What?" Jaken asked, staring at her with wide eyes. "If you are going to speak outloud to yourself, girl, the least you can do is be sensical!"

Kagome waved her hand at him and swallowed what she had in her mouth. "Oh, I was just talking about something else that we have in my ti- _village." _She barely caught herself that time.

"Indoor plumbing?"

Kagome nodded and took another bite. "Its where you... _oh, how do I put it... _it's where you run pipes from water to the inside of your house where you can have it waiting and heated to use for things like cleaning and baths, or you can have it flush away your... eh hem, _wastes... _or you can clean and purify it and drink it from a sink."

"Sink?" Jaken repeated the foreign word.

"Um, bassin." Kagome corrected herself, unable to think of anything closer to the word that she was looking for.

Jaken snorted. "You humans truly are unusual," he commented, but there was little to no venom in his voice.

"Most unusual," Sesshoumaru agreed, and stood. "Undoubtedly. But also weak."

Kagome tried not to take offense and focused on finishing her meal.

"You are done?" He asked again after she had a few more bites.

Kagome nodded. "Yes. Thank you for the dinner, Sesshoumaru-sama."

Sesshoumaru merely nodded, and reached for the mokomoko beside her, handing it to her with a serious expression on his face. "This Sesshoumaru has been generous. I have allowed you to rest, I have hunted for you, and I have fed you," he said, thrusting the mokomoko at her again until she grabbed it in her hands stupidly, not sure why he was handing it to her. "Now lay by fire and remove your clothes, onna."


	7. Drop

Title: Damsel in Defense

Author: Miss Selah

Summary: For Forth's Damsel in Distress Challenge. Tired of being defenseless, Kagome turns for assistance to an unlikely ally. Sesshoumaru has never had much tolerance for anything weak, but honor demands that he rekindle his alliance with the miko who aided him in the defeat of Naraku. Will Sesshoumaru be able to teach Kagome the ways of a sword master... or will Kagome be the death of him?

Genre: Action / Adventure / Romance

Prompt: Drop

A/N: Couldn't wait until tomorrow. Wanted to post now. I've almost (almost) finished the whole thing. Please keep your eye out.

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Kagome gasped, startled and indignant. "I will do no such thing!" She said, crossing her arms over her chest. "How rude of you to even suggest such a thing! Here I was thinking that you were a demon of impeccable manners, and the you go and tell me to -"

Sesshoumaru interrupted her tirade with a sneer. "Impeccable manners," he repeated, agreeing. "And tastes." He looked over her body as though it was trash and Kagome suddenly had the feeling that she had misunderstood the situation. "Do not make this Sesshoumaru repeat himself. Drop your clothes."

Kagome looked to Jaken, as though he was a dottering chaperon, only there to protect her dignity. "Jaken?" She questioned nervously.

"Go on, stupid girl!" Jaken said, waving a hand at her. "My Lord is being most generous with his offer, and you are being selfish and rude!"

Struck dumb by the request and the command, and secure in the knowledge that Jaken would sooner cut off his own foot than press for a sexual encounter between her and his lord, she obediently stood, numb and dazed, and walked over to the fire. "O...okay then," she said, laying the mokomoko down a safe distance from the fire and gulping audibly as he hands went to her pants to drop them. "Here I go..."

"What are you _doing?" _Sesshoumaru asked, staring at her hands on her pants with the barest hint of a blush on his face. She stared back at him, hands frozen, looking just as mortified as he felt.

"I... I'm taking off my clothes, of course!" Kagome stammered, turning even brighter red. "Like you told me!"

"Not your _hakama!" _Sesshoumaru averted his eyes, and even through her embarrassment, Kagome nearly laughed. For a demon who was never riled up, seeing him embarrassed, even if it was only a little bit, was a rare treat for her!

"Sesshoumaru-sama," Kagome said, laughing nervously and beginning to work at her top. "I had no idea you were such a prude."

Sesshoumaru growled. "Because this Sesshoumaru has no desire to see your weak, human body does not make me a _prude." _

Kagome snorted. "And prideful." She saw the mokomoko at her feet where she had left it and put two and two together. "May I cover myself with your pelt?" Kagome asked, not wanting to make another faux paus just because they had problems communicating.

Sesshoumaru nodded, eyes still averted.

Moving quickly so that her audience wouldn't see her bra-covered breast, Kagome dropped her haori and grabbed the mokomoko, bringing it to her chest to cover herself. "Ok," she said. "I'm done."

Sesshoumaru turned and looked at her dumbly, and Kagome wondered what a sight she must have made. Her brown, scratchy apprentice pants must have looked at extreme odds with the soft, creamy tufts of fur that she clenched to her chest, trying to keep her dignity. Blushing, Kagome looked at the fire.

"Please don't stare at me," she asked him. "It's... it's shameful."

Sesshoumaru sneered. "Lie on your belly, onna," he commanded as he approached her.

Kagome did as she was told and lay on her belly on the fire, the mokomoko providing a soft barrier between her body and the hard, gravelly ground. Sesshoumaru knelt beside her and removed his top haori, laying the soft, silken fabric over her back.

He adjusted it carefully, a perfectionist even in this, pausing only to raise an eyebrow when he saw her bra strap. He put a claw underneath the clasp and Kagome gasped. "No dont!" she begged quickly, reaching behind to undo it herself. "I wont be able to get another one. I'll just unsnap it."

"Hn."

Sesshoumaru pulled his soft haori up to cover her bare shoulders. "It would do you well if you did not burn," he said by way of an explanation, and reached into the coals for one of the stones.

He pulled them out, one at a time, until he had eight of them. He took the eight hot stone and lay them on either side of Kagome's spine on top of his haori, careful as he put them down. Kagome moaned as he placed another hot rock on her back, soothing away the aches that ailed her. "Oh Sesshoumaru..." she moaned on a breath. "That's wonderful."

Kagome groaned in pain when he placed one down on top of the large bruise that Hakosu had given her in the fight the day before. _"__Ah...__That_ hurts..." she murmured.

"Hn." Sesshoumaru drew up his haori to study the wound carefully. Quietly, so quietly that if she hadn't been on hyper alertness, she would have missed it, Sesshoumaru hissed. "Foolish onna," he chastised her, "why did you not tell this Sesshoumaru you were injured?"

He had asked her earlier, and her response had been the same. "I did not want to be a nuisance..." she offered by way of explanation, and Sesshoumaru merely scowled at her.

"You truly are a most foolish woman."

Kagome smiled. _When he said it like that, _she thought, _it almost sounded endearing. _

Sesshoumaru covered her bruised back again, and went back to placing the stones on her back, careful to avoid the place where she had been injured.

After he placed all the stones he took some of the oil that he had requested from Jaken and rubbed it on a new stone. "Turn your head," he commanded, and Kagome complied.

He lifted her head by her chin with a surprisingly gentle touch and placed the first oiled stone under her temple, and placed the mate on her other temple. Kagome was so impressed with the kindness that he was displaying for her that she opened her eyes, grateful, and attempted to engage him again.

"Who was Hakosu?" She asked him, trying to catch his golden eyes. "He said that you killed the leader of his village. Is that true?"

Sesshoumaru's hands slowed, but did not stop. "Perhaps it is..." he said. "But this Sesshoumaru does not worry himself

"Where did you learn this?" She asked.

Sesshoumaru did not answer her. Instead, whatever spell that had been cast she broke, and he sneered, standing.

"Let them rest; they will help you heal," he said and turned to Jaken. "This Sesshoumaru shall return."

Without another word, he left.

Jaken clicked his tongue at Kagome. "You thought that my Lord wanted to see _your_ body?" He asked, almost teasingly, from behind a clawed hand. "Shameful, vulgar woman!"

Kagome just blushed and squeezed her eyes shut as Jaken laughed at her discomfort. "_Shut up!" _

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When the stones had cooled and Sesshoumaru still hadn't returned, Kagome decided to go out on her own to practice again. The hot stones had really done the trick... while her back and rib were still throbbing painfully, the muscles that had stiffened around her injuries had untensed, and she felt great.

"I'll be back," she told Jaken, who squawked at her.

"Wait!" He said, hurrying after her. "You are still injured. If I allow you to injure yourself further, my Lord will punish me!"

Kagome snorted. "Unlikely," she said, and continued on her way, ignoring the water kappa. "But that's a risk I'm willing to take!" she told him, teasingly as she bolted ahead, jumping over tree limbs in an attempt to lose the small demon.

"Come back!" Jaken sqeuaked, trying to climb over the tree limb she had vaulted and failing, flailing as he robes caught and he held. "Don't go!"

Kagome stuck her tongue out and continued, laughing.

"I'll be fine!" She called back by way of a promise. "Don't follow me!"

Jaken could not follow her – but his cries of indignation followed her all the way to the clearing, where she ran into Sesshoumaru.

"Oh," Kagome said, stopping her run and staring at the demon lord who stood on a cliff, looking at the white, full moon. "I... I didn't know you would be here."

Sesshoumaru turned his face to hers and frowned. "You are still injured," he snarled. "Return to camp."

Kagome waved away the command. "I'll be fine!" She insisted.

"Your body is weak," Sesshoumaru said. "It needs rest."

Kagome lowered her hand, but kept her gaze on his. It seemed as though he was actually... worried about her.

"You can drop the tough-guy act, Sesshoumaru-sama," she told him gently. "It's only you, me, and the moon."

Weeks prior, Sesshoumaru may have killed her for speaking so forwardly with him – but tonight, standing in the moonlight, so soon after he had taken such liberties with her person, he found it hard to be offended. After all, he had helped to heal her – it would do him no good to reinjure her now, as pleasing though the idea might be.

"Why did you come?" Sesshoumaru demanded finally.

"Oh!" Kagome said, "I had just come to practice. I didn't mean to intrude on you, though."

Sesshoumaru sat down, still focused on her.

"Begin."

Kagome began her movements, but they were even sloppier than usual with her injuries. She tried to be fluid like he was, to mimic his moves exactly, but there was something graceless even in that when she did it. She was _nothing _like him.

"Stop." Sessshoumaru commanded. He stood slowly. He lifted himself from the ground with the fluidity of a snake uncoiling itself from a basket, and he was just as hypnotizing as he kept his eyes firmly locked on hers. "Your swordplay is reviling."

Kagome flinched. "I know; I just can't figure out what I am doing wrong."

The pair of them stood there in silence; her, too ashamed with herself to even look at him, him, unsure of how to help the apprentice he never asked for.

"You don't know the rhythm," Sesshoumaru said finally, and drew the Tenseiga. "This Sesshoumaru wishes to engage you in battle."

Kagome looked at him with wide eyes. He would _kill _her! He would – _oh. _

She saw which sword he had drawn and was filled with surprise. "Are you sure?" She asked, surprised at the thoughtful gesture.

Sesshoumaru said nothing; he merely advanced. Not for the first time, Kagome thought that he had the fluidity of a dancer; which made this clearing at the edge of the cliff a dance floor.

Sesshoumaru had yet to put his armor back on, and it made him look much less intimidating – but he still had those eyes, those dangerous eyes, so when Kagome drew her sword, sliding hissing from its sheath, it was with trepidation. Trying to get into the mood and not feel completely silly, Kagome scrunched her face up with mock anger.

"You will not harm this Sesshoumaru," he assured her. "So don't hold back."

Sesshoumaru shrugged out his shoulders and gave her a small, predatory smile. Kagome lowered her sword and brought her other hand up as he approached her, so frightened that she took a step away from him. "Wait," she said. "Stop."

"Too late."

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A/N: The only payment I get is in reviews. If you enjoyed this, please review. It would mean the WORLD to me.


	8. Drop pt 2

Title: Damsel in Defense

Author: Miss Selah

Summary: For Forth's Damsel in Distress Challenge. Tired of being defenseless, Kagome turns for assistance to an unlikely ally. Sesshoumaru has never had much tolerance for anything weak, but honor demands that he rekindle his alliance with the miko who aided him in the defeat of Naraku. Will Sesshoumaru be able to teach Kagome the ways of a sword master... or will Kagome be the death of him?

Genre: Action / Adventure / Romance

Prompt: Drop

A/N: I had a reviewer address and issue that I think should be answered to everyone. They said that it was moving a little fast for them. To that, I say: yes. It is. The challenge was ten parts, and as of right now I've turned it into 13 parts just to make the character development a little more believable. So this story isn't going to be terribly long, but hopefully it will be completely in character. Please let me know at the end how believable their interactions were.

Again, thank you to everyone who took the time to review! it means the world!

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Sesshoumaru rushed at Kagome. He dipped and weaved right just as he was about to reach her and brought his hand up and then bringing it down on the top of her head, knocking her lightly with the butt of the Tenseiga's hilt.

"Ow," Kagome dropped her sword and grabbed the top of her head with both hands. "That really _hurts!" _She complained bitterly. "Go easy!"

"Pick up your sword, foolish woman." Sesshoumaru smirked. "_Defy me." _

"Easy for you to say," Kagome glared at him as she picked up her sword, never taking her eyes off of him. "You're probably the most dangerous person I've ever fought!"

"I can assure you of that," Sesshoumaru smirked. "Again."

When he came at her again, Kagome saw it coming. From the way he danced on his feet to the motion in his hair, she saw his movements and jumped, sidestepping to the right with just enough that the back of his hand passed a hairs breath from her face.

Quickly, before Sesshoumaru realized that his attack had missed, Kagome used her momentum to follow through with her dodge and turn it in to a spin, dancing all the way behind him until her back was at his back. His hair whipped her in the side of the face as he moved, too, using both hands to flip the sword around and jab, aiming for the place that she had just been. Laughing, Kagome put both of her hands in the air, flipping the sword by the hilt like a baton, matching his moves to change the direction of the blade.

Back to back, she stabbed behind her and he was gone, easily dodging her move. Still, she heard a tear of cloth, but had no time to examine where the sound had originated from.

Sesshoumaru left an opening for another attack intentionally for her, drawing her into the open. Kagome lunged, making a loud battle cry as she did so. But Sesshoumaru used her over excitement to his advantage, tapping her sword with his and knocking her off of her balance. Kagome tripped, screeched, and fell directly on to her face.

"Ow..."

The smile that was on his face now was genuine, and when Kagome stuck her tongue out at him, she would have sworn that she heard the demon lord chuckle.

"Again," he commanded, brandishing his sword. "You will try again."

Kagome stood, nodding. "Again." She agreed.

Sesshoumaru stayed primarily on the defensive, giving Kagome the opportunity to get comfortable with the way her body felt as it went after his. She stopped thinking of strategy, stopped thinking of the repercussions, of life and death, and she just started to move. She just let herself be there, in that moment, with him.

"Better," Sesshoumaru acknowledge. "But without skill. Now..."

Sesshoumaru began his attack, and Kagome nearly froze.

"Whoa!" She exclaimed, blocking the downward swing of the Tenseiga. She was dancing backward while Sesshoumaru enjoyed himself, swinging easily, almost teasingly as he progressed.

Kagome was almost at the limits of her strength. She may have had more reserves if it wasn't for her injury, but even with how easy he was going on her, she was still tiring quickly. It was all that she could do to back away and parry, back away and parry, and still she was dripping with sweat.

"No more!" Kagome screeched and ducked, moving in quickly and shouldering Sesshoumaru in the stomach.

"Oumph!" Sesshoumaru let out an unexpected whoosh of air.

Kagome backed up, startled with herself. "I'm sorry!" She exclaimed. "I should have used my -"

"Well done," Sesshoumaru said, his smile turning feral. "My turn."

Sesshoumaru straightened and shouldered her, catching her on the unawares. He open handed smacked her, not too hard as he tried to not discourage her from moving, but hard enough to have her blinking with the sharpness of his rap.

"Cease holding back, onna." Sesshoumaru demanded. "_Fight me. _You have it in you."

"Okay," Kagome said, her voice lacking confidence. "You asked for it!" She ran in on Sesshoumaru again.

Sesshoumaru retreated three steps and turned. Kagome followed through with her steps, missing him completely as he pivoted around her.

Sesshoumaru swung a slow heavy handed fist at Kagome and she dodged, falling out of his reach and into a low crouch.

"Use your sword!" Sesshoumaru reminded her and Kagome gripped the hilt harder. He attacked as she did, and Kagome barely had time to dodge, let along think. It was a true testament to either her luck or her experience in battle with her miko skills that she kept her prescense of mind to dodge and attack, not taking a moment to breath in between her motions. She rolled to the right in a desperate dodge. The fight had the pair of them twirling dangerously close to the edge of the cliff and Sesshoumaru saw Kagome's misstep before she did.

"Kagome!"

Sesshoumaru grabbed her by the back of her kimono just as she was about to tumble off of the cliff.

"Hooo_oooo_," Kagome blinked at the gaping abyss below her and fought with vertigo. "Pull me back; _pull me back!" _

Sesshoumaru yanked her backwards and she turned immediately away from the edge of the cliff and into Sesshoumaru's arms.

Pressing her face into his chest, Kagome shivered, trying not to cry as her adrenaline surged, leaving her feeling breathless and elated. "I... I almost died."

Sesshoumaru snorted. "It's a miracle you've managed to survive this long, onna."

Kagome looked up at him, still clutching the fabric of his haori. "Thank you for saving me."

He only leered at her, stoic. "You are of no use to me _dead, _onna." Her heart felt as though it was about to beat right out of her chest, but Sesshoumaru wasn't even breathing hard.

There was, though, an unmistakable little glow on his cheeks.

She panted, retaining her hold on the hilt of her blade. She was holding her own against him, but she was no fool - she knew that he was taking it easy on her. Her human body would have never been able to withstand a full, physical confrontation with him - she would have to resort to tricks if she had ever intended to best him in a battle of strengths. Kagome cocked her right hand back and stabbed, hitting him in the empty space between his rib and his arm so that her weapon rested almost comically between them, sliding in to place and holding like a prop in a stage play.

"Bang," Kagome said, making the shape of a gun with her left hand and mock firing. "I've got you."

Sesshoumaru nodded, his eyes gentle on her.

"Well done."

Kagome panted, grinning wildly and trying to catch her breath. Under any other circumstances, Kagome would have been frightened of him - frightened of the quiet, serious intensity that he had in his eyes as he kept his face squarely on hers. After all, to be under such scrutiny of such a powerful man was daunting... but not today.

Not now.

"I did it," Kagome said, sheathing the short sword that he had given to her and opening her arms wide, spinning in a circle. She threw her head back and laughed, still spinning. "I did it!" She spun and spun, around and around, uncaring if he found her behavior childish or uncouth; she spun until she grew dizzy, nauseous. She spun until she collapsed on the grass in a happy pile, clutching her sides to try and hold them together, all the while still laughing with exuberance while the world kept spinning around her.

Slowly, she came back to herself, her laughter becoming a guffaw, and then a chuckle, and finally a bright smile that reached all the way up to her eyes. As she looked up, she saw that Sesshoumaru had not only stood, he had approached her, and was staring disapprovingly down at her as she lay in the grass.

Kagome merely beamed at him. "I did it."

Sesshoumaru's face remained still, but his eyes displayed amusement - whether it was at her antics or at her appearance, she didn't know, but when a firefly buzzed past his head it made his eyes sparkle with... something.

If she didn't know any better, she would have thought that it was affection.

"You act just like Rin," Sesshoumaru finally stated, still remaining still as a statue.

Though he said the words with a note of wamth, Kagome's face still fell, the moment gone. "What happened to Rin, anyway?" Kagome asked. "You were still traveling with her when I went back to my ti - my _home,_" Kagome barely managed to catch herself in time, saving herself at the last second, "but I haven't seen her since I returned."

Sesshoumaru lowered himself into the soft, sweet smelling grass beside Kagome. The two of them sat there - him, pristine and white and pale as the moon's surface itself; her, covered head to toe in sweat and dirt and pleased with herself beyond words.

"So," Kagome broke the silence, turning in the grass on to her side so that she could face Sesshoumaru. "You are going to tell me about Rin?"

He glowered down at her. "This Sesshoumaru made no such statement."

His demeanor was as harsh as ever and his tone was just as cold as it had always been, but Kagome sensed that he was teasing her and smiled.

"You're teasing me," she said confidently, and when he narrowed his eyes dangerously at her, she just rolled back on to her back and crossed her arms behind her head. "You are; don't try to deny it."

"You speak overmuch," Sesshoumaru accused.

"You like it, though," Kagome said. "Otherwise you would have kicked me, like you do Jaken, or told me to keep quiet, like you do Rin. You know what I think though?"

Sesshoumaru ignored the dull headache that began to throb. "I am certain you will tell me whether I want to hear it or not."

"I think that you are lonely."

They stared up at the moon from the grassy hilltop, her on her back in her warrior's suit, him sitting tall and proud as ever.

"Rin came to me as a child," Sesshoumaru said. "You are not unlike her. She too was a foolish, annoying girl."

Kagome could almost hear the smile in his voice.

"What happened to her?" She asked, preparing for the worst. "Did she..." she couldn't say die. She just couldn't.

"Rin grew up."

Kagome's brows drew together, wondering why Sesshoumaru said it with such finality. Of course she would have grown up, Kagome thought. Rin had been only just a child when Kagome had last seen her, but by now she would have been at least fifteen... She would have been experiencing her first love, her first heartbreak. Her whole life would have been a whole new set of adventures.

"Well," Kagome said, "she's a little girl. Little girls grow up. It's part of life."

"Only for humans," Sesshoumaru said, and it began to make more sense to Kagome.

Sesshoumaru was a demon, and with his demon heart he had loved a human girl. "Sesshoumaru-sama," Kagome asked. "How old are you?" He looked to be only in his mid twenties or so, but Kagome knew that wasn't the case... even Inuyasha, who she knew to be well over two hundred, looked only 16; and he was only _half _demon.

"I don't remember," Sesshoumaru confessed. "But I was born more than a thousand years ago."

Kagome stared in aw at the demon before her. How many deaths had he seen, she wondered, in his infinitely long lifetime? How many deaths had touched him before he stopped caring?

But he hadn't stopped; not really. It was obvious that he still cared about Rin, and it was tearing him up inside.

Uncomfortable with the path that her mind was taking, Kagome turned the conversation back. "So where is Rin now?" Kagome asked.

"At the shiro," Sesshoumaru said. "It was unseemly for a girl of her age to be wandering barefoot across the country with men."

Kagome raised an eyebrow and laughed. "Hey! What about me?" She asked. "I'm _older _than Rin and I am wandering around the country with men!"

Sesshoumaru smirked. "Yes," he agreed. "But you are not barefoot."

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A silent assassin, his aura masked and his scent covered by the smell of pine needles, effectively hiding him completely. Sneaking up on the demon lord was no easy task, and if the miko had not distracted Sesshoumaru with their mock sword battle, he may have never been able to manage it. Still, he knew better than to attack – he was just there to gather information. So he watched the pair on the hill until the miko finally got up and stretched, saying she was going to bed. She had passed him, and a few minutes later Sesshoumaru did the same.

Finally alone, the assassin went into the clearing to pick up what he had been waiting for for so long.

The girl's swordplay had been beneficial to him on two sides – not only had she proven a distraction to the demon lord, but she had also given him a gift.

There, in the tall grass, was a cutting of Sesshoumaru's sleeve where her sword had proven true.

Inhaling it, the assassin knew that it would be scent enough for him to track Sesshoumaru, and, when the time was right, perhaps even lead him in to a trap.

T_he miko was going to be a problem, though, _the assassin thought with a frown. Her swordplay was awful, but if she were to use her powers she could decimate their soldiers almost as easily as Sesshoumaru could with his claws, and there was little that they could do with their demon powers to stop her...

_Unless..._

The assassin's lips curled up as the beginning of a plan began to form, and suddenly, the miko seemed a much easier obstacle to overcome. He leaped off of the cliff into the night, landing silently on the ground far below before racing along the river, hiding his scent with the water as he returned to his master.

Hakosu would be most please with what he had found.

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A/N: The only payment I get is in reviews. If you enjoyed this, please leave a contribution in the little box.


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